The Bible is the history of the Almighty, broken-hearted God who fell in love

desperately with a fickle-minded girl called Israel and ended up sending His one
and only Son, down to earth, in a bid to woo her back to Him.
This Son was born to a virgin and we will see what He has to teach us. Can babies
teach us lessons? Oh, sure, lots! We learn a lot, especially from this special Babe!
1. Sacrifice
Jesus left the most beautiful, most comfortable, most royal place, even heaven; to
live in the most unseemly, most uncomfortable, poverty-stricken place - the earth!
If somebody promises you glory in the future if only you agree to be in a womb for
nine months as a baby, will you agree? I doubt if I will. The very thought sends
cold shivers down my spine. But Jesus agreed. He agreed to be born in a manger,
of all the places on the earth! God did not even give Him a small house for His
birth, leave alone a Primary Health Centre. Dirt, smell, mosquitoes, noise of
animals! Why? Did He enjoy all that? No, He sacrificed His comfort that we may
go to heaven. “Though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor so that we
through His poverty may become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). It is a riches to rags story.
Jesus was the tender child of God (Prov 4:3). But when He was born in this world,
even though He had equal status with God, He didn’t flaunt His position but just
brushed away the privileges of deity, made Himself nothing and became like a
slave (Phil 2:6,7). Who demanded this sacrifice from Him? He didn’t succumb to
pressure but voluntarily submitted Himself. Since then He never looked back. The
rising sun came from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (Lk 1:78,79). Light dawned, for to
us a child is born (Isa 9:2,6).
Even today crores are dying in spiritual darkness and in the shadow of death,
without peace. The Jesus Babe has shown us the way to get to them - the way of
sacrifice. Without sacrifice we cannot reach out to them. We need to sacrifice the
time we spend with the TV and mobile; and pray for the lost, the sick and the
enemies of the Gospel. We need to sacrifice our sleep, get up and bend our knees.
We need to go out with the boldness of Jesus and speak to people. We need to see
where we can cut down our expenses and spend more for the unfortunate. We need
to cut down our food and fast. How many of us have become literally poor to make
others rich in Christ?
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I don’t think Mary had a smooth delivery. She cried out in pain. Satan angrily
waited to kill the Baby. Many babies lose their lives at birth. May be there was
some complication like cord-around-the-neck or sepsis or something. Michael and
his angels had to fight against the old serpent to save Baby Jesus. The Baby
suffered during birth. The grisly scene is described in Revelation chapter 12. It is
in this context it is said, “They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from
death” (v11). It is likely that Mary suffered a lot at the hands of the devil for the
choice she made to carry Jesus in her womb (vv13-17). Naturally Jesus also would
have suffered.
Let our life’s one goal be to usher in souls into the kingdom. If a soul is worth the
whole world as Jesus said, no sacrifice is too much to make, to lead one soul to
Christ. An easy-chair life doesn’t bring souls. We must have only one purpose in
life like Jesus and the apostles - a life burning with a mission! As the Father sent
Jesus into the world, Jesus has sent us into the world (Jn 17:18). (Meditate)
2. Obedience
“Just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so
also through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made
righteous” (Rom 5:19). If the Son had been disobedient to the Father, where would
we be today?
When Christ came into the world He said, “Sacrifice and offering You did not
desire, but a body You prepared for Me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings You
were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am - it is written about Me in the scroll - I
have come to do Your will, O God’” (Heb 10 : 5-7). Jesus saw that offerings did
not please His Father. He could see what was in the Father’s heart, that He should
descend to the world, be born as a human baby and offer Himself to be slaughtered
as a Lamb to save humanity, and surrendered Himself to do His Father’s desire. If
He had hesitated, His Father would not have compelled Him. But Jesus
obeyed. “What the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful
nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of a sinful man to be a sin
offering” (Rom 8:3). God sent, but His Son had to say ‘Yes’ before that! He was
obedient to death - even death on a cross (Phil 2:8).
Paul, in writing to Titus speaks about obedience, relating to the birth of
Christ: “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please
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them, not to talk back to them... so that in every way they will make the teachings
about God our Savior attractive. For the grace of God that brings salvation has
appeared to all men” (Tit 2:9-11; 3:1).
What draws people to the teachings of Christ? It is our submission to our leaders
that adds lustre to our teachings of the Bible. What we see today is rebellion, strike
and talking back to authorities, making our preaching ineffective. Jesus obeyed and
brought salvation to all. Let us not make it void by our unseemly behaviour
towards our authorities. Although Jesus was the Son of God, He learnt obedience
from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal
salvation (Heb 5:8,9). Suffering should teach us obedience and lead us to
perfection. Only then we can become the source of eternal salvation to the lost.
Subordinates must submit but authorities should not come down heavily on the
subordinates. They should have the love of the Father and learn how He treated His
Son. “Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way” (1
Pet 5:3 - The Message Bible).
3. Total Dependence on God
Jesus became a helpless Babe when He could not run away from Herod’s sword.
He had to abandon Himself in God’s hand. He was a “shoot,” a “tender shoot”
which anybody could crush; not a mighty oak (Isa 11:1; 53:2). He took a body that
was perishable, dishonourable, weak and natural (1 Cor 15:42-49). But God was
there for Him always. Michael and his angels fought to save His life and cast down
satan (Rev 12:7-9). God put enmity between the devil’s children and the woman’s
Seed (Gen 3:15). No wonder the heavenly Babe was the target of satan. All the
problems Jesus faced while entering this world were thwarted by God. So, the Seed
to whom the promise referred, came into the world (Gal 3:19).
The disciples never forgot the Baby Jesus. When they were helpless they
remembered how Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the
people of Israel, to conspire against the Holy Child Jesus (Acts 4:27,28). They
thought He was helpless whereas in fact He had legions of angels at His command.
Do you know what the angels were doing before going to the shepherds? They
were worshiping Jesus! “When God brings His firstborn into the world, He says,
‘Let “all” God’s angels worship Him’” (Heb 1:6). Helpless Babe? Far from it!

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“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a human
body...” (1 Tim 3:16). He was not the beautiful, lovely, chubby baby with a halo
around His head as we see in Christmas cards. “He had no beauty or majesty to
attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him”(Isa 53:2).
A good looking baby may receive attention and help. But God chose His Son to be
a most ordinary Babe that people wouldn’t care for a second look, leave alone
help. “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels...” (Heb 2:9). He
was not even like angels to help Himself. Why? He wanted to be as helpless as we
are, so that He could understand us. “Since the children have flesh and blood, He
too shared in their humanity ...” (Heb 2:14).
Abandon yourself into the hands of God. We are helpless in this world. But God
never leaves us alone in this battle of life. He goes before us. “Do not let your
hearts be troubled. Trust in God” (Jn 14:1). As we mature in Christian life we
must learn to put Isaiah 28:16 to practice: “The one who trusts will never be
dismayed.” A trusting life won’t topple. When your heart trembles in fear, remind
yourself that you are a child of the Emperor of the universe. The Almighty God
who protected the helpless little Babe will come to your rescue any time. God who
helped the Babe did not come to His rescue when He cried on the cross. There are
times when God allows us to go through the crucifixion experience. Then we know
it is His will for us to suffer.
4. Patience
When Jesus was born, He was named Jesus, because He would save His people
from their sins (Mt 1:21). Yet He had to wait thirty years to fulfil His calling. He
needed to grow up. He had to be under human parents and obey them. He had to
grow up in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men (Lk 2:52).
Knowing that He was God, He needed to discipline Himself to be patient. He
needed to say, “My time has not yet come” now and then. He was just a tender
shoot and needed patience to become a Branch to bear fruit (Isa 11:1). “ The grace
of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Tit 2:11,12). Yet He did no
magic, but grew up the natural way just like any other baby. “The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being”(Heb1:3). Yet
the glory was seen only a long time later. People did not see a glorious man. They
saw only a crude carpenter’s son. There was no indication whatsoever in His

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appearance that He was the Son of God. He had to go through the grind for thirty
three years, endure the cross and scorn before He could experience the joy of
sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).
We need to “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that
you(we) will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3). We are always in a hurry.
We need to grow into maturity to bear fruit. Christian life is no abracadabra. Step
by step we grow. The disciples were raw material in the hands of Jesus. They
argued who was the greatest, or wanted to bring down fire from heaven or boasted
they’d never leave Jesus alone and run away. Yet, under the able hands of Jesus
they were moulded to maturity. The simple fisher folk turned the world upside
down.
Never be in a hurry to build an empire. First the disciples had to go from village to
village, preaching the Good News and healing people. If they found this wandering
around taxing and below their dignity, they wouldn’t have faced a crowd of over
3000 one day asking, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37-41). If they had
not baptized 1...5...10...30, they would not have baptized 3000! If they had not
walked through the fields, they would not have had the courage to die as martyrs.
Unless we start reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation patiently, we will
never become Bible scholars one day. Unless we start praying on our knees at least
ten minutes a day, we cannot become prayer warriors one day. Unless we start
witnessing to at least one person a day, we will never become soulwinners. Dare to
dream big, but start small.
“Bring forth fruit with patience,” said Jesus (Lk 8:15). We need to be patiently
doing good (Rom 2:7). We need to exercise patience with everyone (1 Thess 5:14).
A farmer is patient with his crops to yield, waiting for the rain (Js 5:7). Things do
not happen at the snap of the fingers. So, like Baby Jesus, be patient.
5. Humility
“Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews?” (Mt 2:2). The King was
born in a cattle shed. He was in a house, not the palace as the wise men expected.
He was a village Babe, born in a carpenter’s home. “Being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself...” (Phil 2:8). Without this humility, Jesus could not
have agreed to be born as a human being - that too of the lower cadre. He had no

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cradle, no baby shower, nothing dangling above His head to entertain Him. No
baby food, Horlicks or Bournvita, no fabulous toys. He accepted it all. He was
humbled to the core. “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born over all
creation...” (Col 1:15). Yet He condescended to be the human babe He was.
Why? “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners” (1Tim 1:15).
Consider the early prophets. None of them held a degree or doctorate. None of
them appealed for money. None of them had a private vehicle (so, naturally their
sphere was limited). They were not globe-trotters. Even though some of them
enjoyed considerable clout in the royal palace, they were approachable to people.
They did not even call themselves prophets. It was people who called them
prophets. Do people say of you, “The word of the Lord is with him”? (2 Ki 3:12).
Were they not as human as we? (Js 5:17). Did they not feel tired the whole day
when they got up early to pray? Samuel’s garment tore when Saul caught hold of it
(1 Sam 15:27). It was so old. Yet these Men shook the nation. Even though
Zerubabbel was a prince (Mt 1:12) he never beat his chest like King Kong, but
worked like a labourer. God honoured him by His word, “What are you, O mighty
mountain? Before Zerubabbel you will become level ground. Then he will bring
out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”. “ The hands of
Zerubabbel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hand will also complete
it” (Ezra 3:2; 5:2; Zech 4:7-9). “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but
humility goes before honour” (Prov 18:12).
I often catch myself thinking, “What went wrong with us?” May be we need to
humble ourselves more rather than to sit on a throne, calling ourselves so and so
(Jn 5:44). May be we should be talking to God more rather than exploring the
internet. May be we should be talking to people more than staring at the TV or
twiddling with our mobile. May God help us to realize who we really are, minus
the grace of God.
6. The Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. He was with God in the
beginning... The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. (Jn
1:1,2,14). Did Mary know that she was embracing the Son of God? Do we know
when we embrace the Bible we are embracing the eternal Word? Do we understand

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that the more we read and absorb the Word the more of the Son of God we take
inside? What does ‘Christ in us’ (Col 1:27) mean except that the Word dwells
within us?
The Babe is crying because we have left Him and gone after fables which lead to
controversies rather than God’s work (1 Tim 1:4); pull us away from the truth and
good teaching (4:7); make us lose our head rather than keep our head (2 Tim
4:4,5); deceive us from sound faith (Titus 1:14); make us insensitive to the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1:16). 2000 years ago teachers were
telling fables and myths to itching ears and today it is no less. In fact more people’s
ears are itching today because they don’t care to sit with their Bibles and listen to
God’s voice. Don’t try to attend every meeting, instead sit with your Bible. You
can use a study Bible to help you. You will grow better by spending time with the
Word. The Father gave Jesus the Word. Jesus gave the Word to His disciples. The
disciples gave the Word to us. We need to give the Word to people to be passed on
(Jn 17:8).
We know God saved us and called us to a holy life by His grace. Do you know
when this grace was given us? Before even time began! Do you know when we
came to know about it? When Jesus was born! (2 Tim 1:9,10). Hallelujah!
“Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the
likeness of the Man from heaven” (1 Cor 15:49).

A man was reading a newspaper. “Tsunami in Indonesia, 1,000 dead,” was written
in large letters on the front page. After skimming through them, alas! Saying that,
he turned the next pages. No major nervousness showed.

On the next page, in small print, was an article titled “Migraine Causes and
Remedies.” He who had been turning the pages until then, read the article very
intently, without missing a single letter. Because he often gets migraines.

The man doesn't give importance to the message of "thousand sacrifices" but gives
more importance to the article "single headache". Because man exaggerates only
those things that affect him.

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In general, there is a self within man. It thinks only of itself. He has built a fence
around himself, then his family, then his income, his status. Only if there is a
danger to that self, it will rise. Now, if one of that man's family was affected by
that Indonesian tsunami, that man must have been nervous.

To slay this selfishness is the teaching of the cross. The scriptures say, (Jesus)
emptied himself, took the form of a slave, and became in the likeness of men.
(Philippians 2:7)

When Jesus says he emptied himself, he came to earth after emptying himself and
taking human form. He came into the world emptying himself of all self as the Son
of God, the child to go in the lap of the Father. When Jesus incarnated as a man,
the self was void in him.

"What can I get" is selfishness. Whatever we humans do, we don't do it without

calculating what we will get out of it. But Jesus never thought, “What will I get out
of this?” no matter what he did. He obeyed the will of the Father out of love for the
Father.

It is because of the lives of selfless people that this world is still alive. A self-
interested person will not plant even a single tree. He will only do what benefits
him now. He who wants the next generation to be good, plants a tree and takes care
of it.

Today we are all God's children through the sacrifices made by the missionaries.
They have wandered from villages to cities and ministered without selfishness.
Many more scientists have worked day and night to find medicines that save us in
times of illness. As a result of the self-sacrificing work of many scientists, there are
many inventions that simplify human life today.

If we start doing everything with the single selfish thought of what can I get, we
will look like an animal. If animals are hungry, they will eat their young. But God
didn't make us that way. God created us in His image.

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The life of a selfish man will perish with him, but the life of a self-sacrificing man
will benefit a thousand generations.

It didn't matter if his self was destroyed on the cross, Jesus gave his life in the
sacrificial idea that the sins of mankind would be forgiven and they should come to
heaven. That is the role model for each of us.

The Lord is looking for God's children who work unselfishly in the church and
society. In ministry and public life, a selfless generation should rise up and work in
the nation, with no thought of what I will get.

That is the cross! That is special!

May the Lord bless you!

A great evangelist was on his way to speak at an evangelistic meeting. On the way
a man was beaten and fighting for his life. Stopped the car and observed him. The
victim should be hospitalized immediately. Even a little delay can be life-
threatening. But it is only a matter of time before the meeting where the evangelist
is to speak. what to do?

He left the car and drove off, hoping that someone else would take care of it.

Behind it came a preacher. He came to preach in his congregation well dressed and
tip-toed. He also saw the battered man. Touching him floating in a flood of blood
would stain his clothes. Not only that, he thought that if it became a police case, he
would have to wander off, and left it as it was, hoping that someone else would
take care of it.

Then a lay poor man came. He looked at the battered man. He immediately
stopped his vehicle. He immediately called 108. Apart from that, he gave the best
first aid to the victim. Then he went to the hospital and helped him as much as he
could and saved him.

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Who among these three is pious? A famous evangelist gifted to speak at an
evangelistic meeting? A preacher who preaches in a church? Or the poor layman
who has no endowment and knows not a word to preach?

When we think of Bhakti, all we see are white clothes, robes, platforms and
sermons. But what is the devotion that God wants?

It is undefiled and pure piety before God, the Father, to intercede for orphans and
widows in their distress, and to keep oneself untainted by the world. (James 1:27)

James writes that helping others in trouble and living a holy life is the pure piety
that God wants.

We do not become pious just by performing rituals. God hates such devotion.

When the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, "What is the multitude of your
sacrifices to Me, says the Lord;... I will no longer tolerate the monthly, the
Sabbath, and the assembly that you celebrate with iniquity..." He said. (Isaiah 1:11-
15)

God abhors mere rituals. What should we do in response? “Read to do good; Seek
justice; Defend the oppressed, plead the cause of the afflicted child, and the cause
of the widow,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 1:17)

A man is in the habit of praying on his knees for 3 hours every day. But he did not
love his wife, beat her and chased her away and asked for a divorce. Another man
is a revivalist who cries out for the nation, but does not see the abject poor near his
home. Think about what they are like.

It is nothing if you stand upside down for the Lord without showing justice,
fairness, love and mercy to others.

Make it a habit to do an act of kindness for someone every day. Keep showing
divine love to the people around you in any way you can.

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👉 Give seat to senior citizens in crowded bus.

👉 Whatever you cook, share it with those around you.

👉 Call some people who are often very poor and give them food.

👉 Pick up the garbage lying below and put it in the garbage can.

👉 Go to the field to help whoever is affected immediately.

A thousand more things can be said...

Just imagine what it would be like if all the Christians in our country started doing
acts of kindness to others instead of selfishness. Jesus came into this world to make
such Christians. That is why he shed his blood and obtained forgiveness for us.

If we all change like this, our nation will be saved in one year. Without doing this,
there is no point in crying and praying for revival and revival.

Let's get rid of fake devotion! Let's wear true devotion!

May the Lord bless us!

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